The Burning Retina

Ascension at the Knew Conscious Gallery

2012-08-04T12:25:00.003-04:00

I am proud to be a part of the group show celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the Knew Conscious Gallery in Denver.

Other participants in the group exhibition include artists Kurt Redeker, Kris D, David Hale, Krystleyez, Amanda Sage, Android Jones, Lalo & Kati (Hilal Hibri), David Richardson, Martin Stensas, Reuben Rude, CT Nelson, Grant Standard, Analog Pirate, Totemical, Jon Lamb, Mike Ortiz, Jud Turner, Tracy Tomko, Erin Asmussen, Mike Gallegoes, John Haley III, Talia Sandoval and Warren Binder. An artists reception will be held inside Knew Conscious Gallery from 6-7pm.

‘Ascension’ will benefit Boulder-based nonprofit Conscious Alliance, and the organization will be onsite to host an ‘Art That Feeds’ Food Drive. Community members are invited to participate with a suggested donation of ten non-perishable food items in exchange for a limited edition poster designed by Kurt Redeker, owner of Knew Conscious Gallery.

Following ‘Ascension’ there will be a VIP after party at The Meadowlark (2701 Larimer Street) featuring KiloWatts, The Great Mundane, Raw Russ and DJ Russo. A $15 VIP ticket purchase ensures all day access to the Meadowlark bar and patio for drink specials, exclusive VIP viewing area, and guaranteed entrance to the late night after party. Tickets can be purchased at knewconsciousgallery.com in the ‘Store.’ There is a limited quantity of tickets, and they will sell out.

If you see something, say something.

2012-04-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

I would like to thank all the support I have received after my rant yesterday. To be honest, it has been very overwhelming. I knew my collectors were the best in the world and you guys keep proving it over and over.

EBAY listings from disgruntled flippers

A strange thing happens whenever an artist ticks the flippers off. They get all miffed and start selling their collection of that artist's prints. In some cases they, and a bunch of their flipper friends, start to dump a ton of their work online at very low prices to try and drive the price of the artist's body of work down. It's happened a couple of times to me in small ways, and friends of mine in much more large scale manner. I personally think it's funny and could care less. I just want people to have my art. If they can get deal. I'm all for it. The great thing is some of my older sold out pieces, that rarely come up for sale, can be scooped up at great prices.

Point in case, I checked ebay this morning and saw that there was some great deals on some of my old UM, Phish, SCI and art prints. I'm sure some are from legit people, others flippers. Anyone looking for these has a great opportunity to score some winners. Go check out what's available...

Jeff Wood prints on Ebay

You've seen me state it before on this blog and I will again. I create posters so people can document moments and memories in time. I'm not creating investment pieces for monetary reasons. This is one of the reasons I get so upset when people are buying up large quantities of prints at shows that should otherwise go to the people who were at the show, and then jacking prices to resale. They are creating a false market for their own profit by doing this. Fans at shows just want something to remember the good time with. I hate to tell you how many emails I got yesterday from people at the Panic NYE and Playa shows that went early to get prints only to see they were all sold out. Ridiculous and very sad.

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Answering some questions from yesterday's rant

A couple people ask some interesting questions that I thought I should address.

Someone asked about people who can't stand in line to buy a print, but have a friend do it, or pays someone to get a poster for them. To be honest, I have no problem with this. It's a lot different for someone to pay a dozen folks to do this so they can get quantity to flip and one person just trying to score a print.

So, what about the person who gets a couple of prints to trade for other prints they want? Hey, that's what collecting is all about. Trading is a huge part of collecting and I understand that. These are not the people I'm talking about. Once again, it's the folks getting quantity, sometimes using underhanded and unethical methods, setting astronomical prices and cheating others out of the chance to get a reasonably priced print.

It's really about common sense. If you want to know my thoughts on other questions, feel free to ask. Let's discuss it.
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New Releases

Over the past few weeks Judy and I have been trying to figure out how we can get our releases into more fans hands and less in the flippers. We will be implementing and experimenting on our next release. We will not stop every flipper trying to buy, but we might get a few more prints into real fans collections. That's the goal. It will be an ongoing evolving process. We are also going to start the shift to new estore software in the coming months.

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Stopping the flippers buying up large quantities at shows.

There is something I have been pondering. I know many of you have seen guys scooping up 10 or more prints at a show then reselling in the lots or leaving the shows to list on ebay. I know I've encountered them at shows myself, even getting into arguments when I call them out on it. Red Rocks is notorious for this. I'm thinking it's better just to out them so people can know who they are, direct confrontation at a show may not be the best method. Maybe a better way would be to take a pic of them with their stash and post it online. Since they are in a public place, snapping a pic isn't illegal. Any lawyers out there that want to chime in on this feel free. Nobody wants to get sued here, but there has to be a middle ground to get this information out.

I think getting pics of these people that we can familiarize ourselves and the band merch vendors with would aid in curbing the hoarding at shows. If someone knows their pic may show up online with them carrying a stack of prints they may be less inclined to be so arrogantly blatant about it. Maybe even the band's merch people will take control and ban them from buying any at all. I guess we can dream. And hey, before anyone goes out and starts posting pics, let's make sure we have the legal angles covered. I don't want to see anyone getting in trouble for trying to do the honorable thing. Once again, any lawyers out there reading this, please chime in with some advice on how to approach it, or if it's a horrible idea, tell us to drop the idea all together.. My thinking is that cockroaches tend to scatter when the lights come on. Maybe it's time we flipped the switch.

Another thing, if you see something nefarious going down at a show, someone hoarding, gaming the system etc. point it out to the merch people, and after the show write the artist and band's management. Let them know what you have witnessed. It's your duty to keep them informed of people abusing their fans. Also, let them know how much you appreciate the fact that the bands are commissioning art for their tours and gigs. They really do listen and value your input.

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Wrapping it up

I'm sure I've pissed a few flippers off in the past couple days. Glad to know you guys have my back. Understand, I got yours. This is not about money to me. It's about doing the right thing. Stealing or tarnishing people's memories is something I take seriously. Making someone pay ridiculous amounts of money for a print of a show they were at because some greedy chumps bought up the prints is tantamount to stealing in my book. I think it's something that needs to be openly discussed at length by fans and artists interacting with each other. As a community, we may not be able to stop this nonsense, but I think if we work together we can minimize the effect it's having. Let me know your thoughts on this. It's important we start these discussions and keep them going.

Once again, thank you all for your support. Have a great weekend. Go see a show! And most all, thanks for keeping up the support for the artists drawing the face on the music, and the bands who commission their work.

Studio update, or rant in this case...

2012-04-05T18:55:00.001-04:00

Hi All,

This is the promised update on the shipping of the Panic en la Playa prints and comments on flipping that I promised earlier. It's a bit long, but something I need to get off my chest, so hang with me.

I'm currently finishing up my prints for the "Class of 72" show in London so en la Playa prints will be slightly delayed as I get all this out the door. As you folks know, we always throw in some extra goodies for being patient.

I'm also dealing with some issues being raised by people who purchased multiple prints. I have a strict policy that if anyone orders multiples of a print, after being warned "one per person", I cancel ALL the orders they placed. That is exactly what we are wading through right now. Due to my store software I cannot physically limit the number placed in the cart or stop people from ordering multiple times. We work on an honor system and it seems some people are not very honorable these days.

Another issue, before the servers had time to cool down from the surge of orders coming through, flippers already had prints listed on ebay for $250.00. That's a no-no at Drowning Creek. I'm a VERO member of ebay and we will be banning the sale of any of my prints where I see people buying strictly to flip. I will be ending the present auctions for any of my Panic prints shortly. For the flippers who are taking advantage of people by buying and flipping, I may not be able to stop you from flipping my work, but I can, and will, make it more difficult. Once I can positively confirm you are flipping, you will be permanently banned from buying from me. I know you flippers are using multiple aliases, business names, different IP addresses, paypal accounts and email addresses. I won't be able to sort through them all, but as I discover them they will be added to the list. If these aliases violate any site's or services "terms of conditions", like Facebook or paypal, they will be reported so that these entities can take the actions needed.

Another peeve of mine is reading flippers comments stating "we made their art career, we are the reason they are selling out runs". Bullshit. When I do a run of 1000 prints and 100 are scooped up by people planning to flip them, there is another 900 that fans bought to hang on the wall or put in their collection. Those are the people who allow me to be a successful poster artist, not the leeches making money off the sweat of my back. These people make their money at the expense of my collectors and fans of the bands. When I do an Artist Edition release I could charge $100 per print, but I just can't do that to my collectors. It's not fair to make people pay overly excessive prices because of the actions of a few.

I know you flippers are reading this, so stop being delusional. You are nowhere near as important to the poster market as you think you are. You do not provide a service as you so like to tout. You are the pimple on the rock poster collecting scene's ass. You're an unnecessary pain. Most of the artists in the scene despise your lack of ethics, morals and attitudes. Sometimes, You make us not want to step up and do what we love. I equate you with the same asses who have destroyed Wall Street and the economy. You have no morals when it comes to making money, only greed. It's all about you. Selfish pricks, every last one of you.

I do art for fans and collectors not people who strictly buy prints to make money off me. I do art for honest people who want to hang a piece of art they love on the wall. You flippers could care less about the prints you are buying to flip. It's just stacks of money to you. I will do my best to shut you down any chance I get, from educating bands, promoters and venues as to how to limit their sales, open ended editions, ending auctions, to working with other artists to to document your alisases. If need be I'll be filing legal paperwork if I have justification and the situation deems it necessary. You are bottom feeding scum. You are in the same league as scalpers, another blight on the music industry.

A short story....Last year at Panic Red Rocks a merch vendor was pulling some shenanigans. He was telling people he was sold out, but he would sell them his "personal copy" that he pulled from under the table - for a tidy sum. I got text messages from fans at the venue about it. This is not going unnoticed. I worked with Panic to root this guy out. It was not Panic's merch people. Red Rocks has their own merch staff. Panic was not happy about it all. I'm sure this is happening at other venues where the bands do not handle merch themselves because I have had posters missing before they ever went on sale. Once again, Red Rocks was one of those venues. I had #1-50 of the last Trey poster I created disappear out of box that had been shipped to RR's offices. The box had been neatly resealed. The culprit put my reputation at risk with the band by making them think I had shorted the run or kept the first 50 for myself. Now you know another reason I detest these bottom feeders. Some are straight up thieves.

End of story. Now you flippers can go crawl back under that rock from which you came and talk smack about me...

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I guess now that I spewed all that venom out of my system, I would like to end all this on a more upbeat note and tell the collectors and fans that do support my, and other artists work, that we love you dearly. We deeply respect your support, for without YOU, this whole scene would not be possible. I'm sorry these damned flippers are ruining such a fun adventure for us all. Greed is a very ugly thing.

If you attended Playa and did not get a poster because of the flippers, send me an email to sales@drowningcreek.com and we will put you on the list. There will be a few available now that some orders have been canceled. I will see what I can do to hook you up. No promises, but I will try.

Take care, and thanks for hanging in there through this diatribe.

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. ~ Potter Stewart

Much love,

2012-03-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

Panic en la Palya, Mayan Holidaze, Jam Cruise 10 and Tedeschi Trucks Band prints are now available in the store!

BUY NOW!

Mission Control...we have a Problem

2012-03-23T12:38:00.001-04:00

Well, it seems our main email server is having major issues. As much as I hate to do this, we are going to have to delay the release until the issue is resolved. The rescheduled release will happen on Monday March 26th between 1:00pm and 2:00pm EST.

Sorry for the delay....

Upcoming Release and BIG Studio News!

2012-03-19T20:56:00.000-04:00

Ok, peeps, the time has come for the long awaited release I have been promising. I will be updating the site with the new release on Friday March 23 between 11:00am-1:00pm EST.

In this release I will be adding the following to the store :

Panic en la Playa
Jam Cruise 10 Octopus and Mermaid (and the uncut version)
Mayan Holidaze
Tedeschi Trucks Band 2011 Revelator Tour.

I have limited numbers of each.

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On the Horizon

Another big announcement....over the next few months we will be adding all of our back catalog of prints that are still on our shelves to the web store. We will also be pulling many of our sold out prints, printers proofs, artist editions, uncuts etc from our personal DCS studio archives. These will include pieces such as gig posters, art prints and toys from other artists such as Mouse, Kelley, Houston, Pollock, Emek, Jermaine, Hampton, Engine House 13, Arminski, Coop, Forbes, Ewing, Kozik, Uncle Charlie, Biffle, Dubois, Shepherd Fairey and many others. We will also be selling off miscellaneous stuff that has been decorating the studio over the years. There will be some original Wood paintings up for sale also.

You may ask yourself "Self, why would Jeff and Judy be selling all this stuff?" So, here's the BIG news......we plan on moving and buying a farm somewhere...not sure where yet, maybe close, maybe far, but we are definitely moving the studio to a new locale. We are in the process of looking for a special piece of property to set up our gardens and greenhouses and move forward with our farmstead dreams. Presently we live in a small town outside Athens, Ga. After living here for 14 years it has worn us a bit thin being so isolated from other artistic types. We have to drive into Athens for a cultural recharging pretty often. After much meditating on solutions we came to realize that our present location is not where we want to live our lives. We have decided that we need to be closer to more like minded people or risk going a bit stir crazy. We may move closer to Athens, or farther north towards Asheville.... or maybe, even out west. Who knows, but that's the exciting part isn't it? We are open to suggestions if you know of a cool piece of small farm property that's available. Either way, we are planning our escape and have a whole studio full goodies we would like to pass on to others to help finance our dreams.

Most importantly, I will still continue to create posters and art prints. No worries there. Nothing will change except the scenery from the studio windows.

Thanks again for all your support throughout the years.

We love you all!

--Jeff & Judy

Panic Blue Indian NYE wins EB Poster of the Week

2012-01-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

When I arrived home I was surprised with a the special honor of having the Widespread Panic NYE Blue Indian print being named "Expresso Beans Poster of the Week". Thanks to all who nominated and voted to give it this honor!

New Widespread Panic Print Release

2012-01-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

The store is now live with the Widespread Panic Artist Edition releases . The first is the print for the Alpharetta, Ga show featuring art titled Indian Summer and the second being the NYE Charlotte show featuring the Blue Indian art.

The Blue Indian NYE print is the second in a trilogy of Native portrait prints. The first being the Red Rocks Universal Shaman print. The third and final installment will be released at Panic en la Playa. I'm extremely proud of this set of prints. They will make a great set to have hanging on your wall. I wanted to do something really special for the band to commemorate their 25th Anniversary. Since I love doing Native themed artwork it all sort of fell into place. The band was generous enough to let me run with theme and the reception by the fans has warmed my heart.

Judy and I will be attending Jam Cruise next week for a very much needed break, so all orders will start processing as soon as we get back in the shop.

Please remember to refresh your browsers to make sure you are loading the new page.

BUY HERE

Widespread Panic Alpharetta, GA Poster

2011-10-02T20:45:00.000-04:00

Here is a look at the new Widespread Panic poster that will be available at the Verizon Amphitheatre show in Alpharetta, Ga on October 8th. It's a 15x22 screen print on French paper.

New Releases are in the store!

2011-08-30T00:04:00.000-04:00

Just a note to let everyone know that the new releases are in the store!

Shop Now

Maestro Roberto Venosa

2011-08-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

Maestro Roberto Venosa
January 21,1936 - August 9, 2011

A dear friend and mentor passed on to another realm yesterday. Robert taught me much about art and life. For that I will be forever grateful. God speed Brother. I love you. I will always cherish the time we had together painting. Thank you for the inspiration.

Chris Dingwell Painting Seminar

2011-06-22T14:16:00.000-04:00

Come join me for a day of artistic madness taught by master painter Chris Dingwell and hosted by my brothers in ink at Seppuku Tattoo....read on...

Seppuku Tattoo is proud to host one of the tattoo industry's foremost fine artist and painter extraordinaire Chris Dingwell, teaching an all day painting seminar in our studio.

Chris is one of those personalities that needs little introduction. In addition to his impressive tattoo career, he's known for live painting at his Wet Paint Projects, collaborations with other tattoo industry peers, all painting live before crowds of thousands at tattoo conventions coast to coast. His ground breaking and prolific work is currently being collected and printed in a new book due out late this summer.

From the man himself:

PAINTING WITHOUT FEAR!

Official Chris Dingwell Workshop description:

SUNDAY, July 17th, 12 PM to 12 AM

Always wanted to start painting, but you are "afraid?"

Tried it, but got frustrated and gave up?

Painted for years, but want to try something different?

Whatever your level or experience with painting, this extensive, interactive seminar workshop is for you....

I will be starting with a SHORT but thorough slide show, just to establish some background for my work, and then I will go through the steps of beginning a simple painting of my own from scratch!

I will discuss my process and materials to some extent, but my paintings are not about elaborately involved techniques. ANYONE CAN DO THIS! It's just about pouring your heart into your work and allowing that to be your guide. I will show you briefly how I create my image and layout, then follow with a lot of underpainting, building up to the final result.

Once my painting is off to a good start, it will be YOUR turn.

Everyone in the workshop will be working on a painting from the same reference image that I am, and together we will find lots of different ways to approach the same idea. The remainder of the time will be spent painting together; side by side, discussing our discoveries and hardships along the way. Many of these may be finished that day, but it isn't required.

We will be working with Acrylic paints, but much of what we will be doing can apply to any medium. If you have your own paints and brushes for working in Acrylic, feel free to bring them, but it isn't necessary. If you want to work on an easel, you will need to provide your own!

Otherwise I WILL BE PROVIDING ALL OF THE SUPPLIES; canvases, transfer paper, paints and brushes. Bring your own hands, eyes, ears, and brains.

The seminar will have enough room for between 12 to 15 spots. The seminar will begin at 12 noon, and run all day until 12 midnight. This is an all day extensive hands on seminar. The cost of the seminar is $160, and this includes all materials. A deposit is required to hold your spot, these can be PayPal-ed to chris@chrisdingwell.com.

Seppuku Tattoo does have a limited amount of easels & furniture. Artists are asked to bring any portable easels, folding chairs, artists stools, or travel equipment they have to help facilitate the process. There will be breaks, including a lunch break, but food will not be provided. Seppuku is walking distance from two pizzerias, Chinese, sushi, a diner, a bagel deli, convenience stores, & two Dunkin Donuts. You can call the studio for any other information.

CHRIS DINGWELL STUDIOS

in the State Theater Building

142 High St., Suite 401

Portland, ME 04101

207-773-1911

e-mail: chris@chrisdingwell.com

http://www.chrisdingwell.com/

http://www.chrisdingwell.com/tattoo-news.html

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=534840785

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150232950090786.361365.534840785

Seppuku Tattoo

145 Main Street

Bloomingdale, NJ 07403

973-291-8187

www.seppukutattoo.com

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=534840785

Posters Posters, Posters!

2011-06-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting it's been a very busy Spring. Judy and I have been building the infrastructure here on the homestead for all of our sustainability farming and chicken adventures. Follow our progress at the Drowning Creek Homestead Blog.

Here are the posters completed in the past few months. I will do a release around July 1st for all the artist editions of the these prints.

New Releases

2011-02-16T16:25:00.000-05:00

Widespread Panic Atlanta

Size: 15 x 22

Paper: French Chocolate Paper

Artist Edition of 100

Signed, Numbered and Remarqued

Panic is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. I was asked to do the Valentine's poster for the show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. I decided to give the fans chocolate and roses. Enjoy!

15 Minutes aka Ode to Brainwashing

Size: 15 x 22
Paper: Nothing Fancy
Artiste' Edition of 100
Signed, Numbered and Hand Splattered

I'm afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning. --Andy Warhol

My social comment on what is called "pop art" these days. Hand splattered in Pepto pink paint.

Purchase Both Here

Jam Cruise and Mayan Holidaze Posters in the Store

2011-01-26T21:22:00.001-05:00

Mayan Holidaze and Jam Cruise Prints can be purchased here: Drowning Creek Store

Mayan Holidaze Art

2011-01-20T11:27:00.000-05:00

Recent poster for the Mayan Holidaze festival in Mexico. 8 color screen print on French Black licorice

Athens Burning Kickstarter

2010-12-21T21:01:00.002-05:00

Just bought my copy... please help rebuild the Georgia Theatre. Here's a letter from the folks at SphereVibe Films who have filmed a documentary called 'Athens Burning". Donate if you can.

Hello friends of the Georgia Theatre and SphereVibe Films, we hope this

message finds you all warm and well.

As many of you know, the team at SphereVibe Films has been working

diligently for the past couple year(s) on their project, "Athens Burning," a

documentary about the Georgia Theatre, its rich history, the artists and

Athens music scene, which flourished there, the devastation of the fire

and current rebuilding efforts. This project is the official documentary,

endorsed by and raising money for the rebuilding of the Georgia Theatre,

and has been covered enthusiastically by CNN.com, The Atlanta Journal

Constitution, and other media.

So far, the production of the entire film has been funded independently.

We are now down to our last leg of post-production. We are asking now for

your help with our final step-- the theatrical release. The film will run

in both Beechwood Cinemas and Ciné. As a stipulation, the distributor has

required that we raise and spend $3,500.00 on the marketing and promotion

of the film.

As a recipient of this email, we believe you have a vested interested in

the well being of the Georgia Theatre, or film making in Athens.

Below is the link to the Athens Burning trailer and its Kickstarter page,

a website that helps people raise money to fund their creative projects.

You may donate anywhere from $10-$1,000 and each level has a different

incentive involved for your generosity. We thank you in advance for your

support, and will welcome social media plugs and links to this page along

with any monetary donations.

Cheers!

The team at SphereVibe Films

This is what it's all about...

2010-12-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

Narayanan Krishnan is an inspiration.

Stop. Take a deep breath. Be the Change.

Visit Narayanan and donate if you can spare some cash. It will nourish a body in need and your soul with compassion.

Holiday Special!!

2010-12-13T13:10:00.001-05:00

For a limited time get the face melting DOSE--"I Need A Brain" screen print collaboration signed and numbered by Stanley Mouse and Jeff Wood for $75.00 in the Drowning Creek Store

Happy Holidays from Jeff and Judy!

New Stuff up in the store

2010-12-10T19:38:00.008-05:00

BUY NOW

I have a bunch of my work from 2009 and 2010 now in the store just in time for the Holidays. The release includes the latest Allman Brothers Fall Tour, Gov't Mule Halloween, UM Halloween animated 3D and STS9 Uncuts. We are also running a holiday special on my collaboration with Stanley Mouse called DOSE for $75.00. It's signed by Stanley and Myself. Look for it in the ART PRINT section.

We've checked the store and all posters should be able to be ordered in one order. Due to time constraints, if multiple orders are placed by a single customer, a tube will be sent for each order. Orders will not be combined, nor will shipping be refunded. Please be aware of that when placing your order!!

Since there is no way for us to know how many orders we'll receive, Drowning Creek cannot guarantee that all packages will be shipped in time to arrive before Christmas. We will do everything in our power to get ALL orders received by December 17 shipped by December 20. We will ship orders in the order they were received this time, so if you want it by Christmas, it would be a good idea to order asap.

People have been asking about International shipping: Alrighty, this is not going to be what everyone wants to hear, but this is how we've decided we're going to ship: We will ship Priority International so that packages can be insured and tracked to delivery. Yes, it costs more. Yes, we will be declaring the value of the contents. Base shipping to Canada will be $25.00 and to the UK-Western Europe it will be $35.00. If you are located in another area, contact me and I will check on it for you.

Happy Holidays,

Jeff & Judy

Visit The Drowning Creek Store

In Memory of Wanda Kay Locklear

2010-12-02T11:51:00.003-05:00

Wanda Kay Locklear

It's never easy losing a close friend, but especially hard when you haven't seen them in many years. This morning I was informed by a tribal member that Wanda Kay had passed away this Summer. I was shocked by the news. We hadn't spoken since the Spring and I had been trying to track her down to catch up when I got the news.

We met in 1985 when I moved to Pembroke, NC to live among the Lumbee Native people and research my family's Native roots. Wanda was quite the character and we quickly became good friends. She was an absolutely beautiful woman with a gracious heart to match. She was always quick with a joke and good laugh. I would often find myself hanging out with her and talking to late hours in the night at powwows. I'll always remember the times we had together.

Wanda Kay was employed by Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina as Director of Youth Services. She made sure each year that I did the shirt designs for the tribe. She was my friend. She was my buddy. She kept me in touch with what was happening in the Tribe. She was my connection to my Native Lumbee past. She always reminded me of where my roots were and that I was always welcome to come home.

Her love and dedication to the children of the tribe’s Boys and Girls Clubs was beyond measure. She was a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe and taught the Club’s children to be proud people. Her legacy will live on through the programs she implemented in her work with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and Lumbee Regional Development Association.

She served as an ambassador of the community in many capacities. In doing so, Wanda was crowned Miss Pembroke Senior High School, Miss Pembroke State University (now University of North Carolina at Pembroke), Miss Lumbee, Miss North Carolina Blueberry Queen, Miss Montgomery, and was a contestant in the Miss Indian American contest in Wyoming. Wanda appeared on the ABC television show, The Dating Game in 1972, as well as, Merv Griffin Show, Dinah Shore Show, The Jokers Wild, Wayne Newton Show, and Truth or Consequences. She attended, by special invitation, an Elvis Presley performance in Las Vegas where Elvis sang to her and tied a “sweaty” scarf around her neck.

Wanda was a huge Allman Brothers fan and was very excited for me as I became a regular poster artist for the band. She was always calling and asking about what I was up to, where I had been and what shows I had seen.

This one's for you Wanda...I love you. Give Derek and Butch a hug for me. See you guys on the other side. I miss you all very much.

R U Experienced?

2010-11-27T12:06:00.001-05:00

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix
November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970

To the man who opened my ears and mind to a visionary view of the world, I wish you a happy birthday. Praises be to the heavens above for allowing you to travel on this plane of existence for a brief moment in time.

Thanks for opening my doors of perception and creating the music that has been the soundtrack to my life.

Namaste' Brother.

Helping a young artist fight for his life.

2010-11-10T18:58:00.001-05:00

I came across this story and it made me stop and think of how fortunate my life has been. I encourage all art lovers to help this little guy with the fight of his life in overcoming this threatening disease.

I see a bright future for this young artist. Let's make it happen for him. I'm now the proud owner of the "Scream". I can't wait to get it framed. It will always be a reminder to me of the healing power of art. Be well, Aidan. We got your back.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AidansMonsters

Family Sells Boy's Monster Drawings On Etsy To Help Pay For His Chemo

By Laura Bassett • The Huffington Post

Every day, Aidan Reed, a five-year-old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, finds time between his chemotherapy treatments, painful spinal taps and oncologist checkups for his favorite hobby: drawing pictures of monsters.

"Drawing monsters was his second favorite hobby before he got sick," Aidan's dad, Wylie Reed, told Huffpost. "His first hobby was dressing up in costumes and acting out whatever character he was dressed as. But he's a little more lethargic now from the chemo and all the treatments, so he just keeps up with the drawings."

Aidan's aunt Mandi, 26, was frustrated by the fact that she couldn't be with her nephew's family in their hometown of Clearwater, Kansas, to offer comfort when the leukemia was diagnosed, so she came up with an idea to help from afar: She would turn Aidan's colorful monster drawings into frameable prints, sell them on Etsy, and donate the proceeds to Aidan's parents for help with his treatments.

On Sept.17, nearly a week after Aidan found out he had leukemia, Mandi sold his first print on Etsy, and the business quickly took off. In less than a week, Mandi had sold about 2,000 of Aidan's prints.

"My lucky number was 60. I just wanted to sell 60 prints," she told MSNBC. "And now here we are at 2,460. ... I have two printers constantly going in my dining room. In between taking care of my baby, I've been trying to fill orders."

At $12 apiece, minus taxes and the cost of materials, Wylie Reed estimates that Aidan's paintings have earned about $50,000 for the family so far, although they haven't collected any of the money yet because they aren't sure how the proceeds will be taxed. The money will be crucial toward helping them keep up with Aidan's treatments, because even though the Reeds are covered through Wylie's insurance plan, the cost of co-pays, wage losses from taking time off work, and the the expenses of Aidan's new-born baby brother are difficult to keep up with on a single income.

Aidan's mother, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when Aidan was diagnosed with leukemia in September, had recently quit her job waiting tables at a bowling alley so that she could stay at home with Aidan and the new baby. Wylie said the family saved, budgeted and planned all year to have enough money to survive on his single income as an on-the-job trainer for Cessna, but Aidan's sickness quickly drained all their savings and threw off the plan.

"I've had to take family medical leave because my wife has a newborn, and she can't stay in the hospital with an infant for a week at a time when Aidan has an infection," he told HuffPost. "The most I could possibly lose would be 12 weeks each year, which is 25 percent of my income. Everybody can understand what it feels like to lose a quarter of your income. My sister's help is gonna be able to replenish the savings we lost, help with deductibles, pay for whatever my portion of the oncologists costs will be, and help reimburse all the lost wages."

After a recent infection surrounding an intravenous line into his heart, Aidan is now carrying a backpack around filled with antibiotics that flow through a line into his bloodstream. Knowing how uncomfortable his son is all the time, Reed says he would not consider letting his son go through any of these procedures alone, even if it means losing a quarter of all his wages for the year.

"I can't let him experience a spinal tap on his own without me being there to hold his hand and talk him through it," he said. "Aidan will ask me what they're doing and why they're doing it, a series of eight to ten questions usually. Then when they're done, he asks me those same questions all over again. That's kind of his coping mechanism, along with the monster drawings."

Fortunately, the Reeds have received the good news that Aidan's particular form of leukemia is 90 percent curable, so the main thing they have to be concerned with is continuing to pay for his treatments and keeping him as comfortable as possible throughout the process. Without Mandi's help and the support of the whole Etsy community, Reed says he doesn't know how he would have made it through this trying ordeal.

"You know, I didn't always have the best attitude towards people and human nature," he said. "I was kind of jaded. This has completely and totally changed the way I think about people. I feel like half the world has stepped up to back up my son. It's just overwhelming -- it's a game changer, and I don't think I'll ever be the same."

Reed said Aidan thinks it's "really cool" that people are buying his drawings. "He understands that strangers are interested in helping him and sending him a lot of stuff from their hearts, like signed photos of famous people, so he understands how great that is, but I don't think he fully understands that this doesn't happen to everyone."

The Allman Brothers Band Fall Tour Poster

2010-11-10T13:25:00.000-05:00

My latest work for the Brothers. 15x22 screen print on French Oatmeal paper. Get them at the shows or hittinthenote.com

Jonas Gerard -- Beyond Abstract

2010-11-10T13:19:00.001-05:00

My Hero, Jonas Gerard, is painting live in his Asheville studio this Sat and Sun. To be inspired attend one or both of these sessions. I'll be there on Saturday soaking it all in. Word of advice...get there early if you want a seat to watch the mastero work.

River Arts District Studio Stroll November 13 and 14, 2010
Sat-Sun 10-6pm
LIVE PAINTING Sat and Sun 2pm in his studio
LIVE MUSIC Saturday 42nd Street (In Bistro)
Ahora Si (In Studio during Live PaintingTraditional Cuban, Puerto Rican and tropical sounds)
Sunday Mark Guest (In Bistro)
240 Clingman Ave. Asheville,NC